"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." ~ W.B. Yeats

About Hilary

Hilary's Home Daycare was established in August of 2006. I have five additional years of experience in the childcare field, prior to opening my own daycare and have also been a mom since 1999. My wonderful husband, Jake and I have been married since 1998, and together we have four kids. I am located in the Colton, South Dakota area. I take pride in providing a home-like atmosphere in which children can feel safe, loved, and comfortable enough to learn

and explore, and where we strive to love and care for each other as a family does. I am a member of the FCCPSD (Family Child Care Professionals of South Dakota), am a state registered provider (meaning my facility is monitored and inspected by the state and I am held to certain standards for completion of training hours, CPR certification, record keeping, general safety, etc.) and I also participate in in the CACFP, or Child and Adult Care Food Program*. I currently plan my own preschool curriculum by following the interests of the children, making sure to incorporate a wide variety of learning areas, such as books/reading, science, large and fine motor activities, art, pre-writing/writing, and sensory experiences.

We incorporate the basics, like letters, shapes, numbers, cutting skills, etc. into our everyday learning and I also focus on what I believe to be the most important "kindergarten readiness" skills: creativity, problem solving, and cooperation. And although I like to add more to our day than what we adults sometimes think of as "just playing," I also know that independent play has great value, as it is some of the best time to practice and develop these life skills. I believe that getting outside, breathing fresh air, and moving our bodies is a vital component in learning and growing. We have a large fenced backyard play area so that we can be outside as much as possible each day. Our daily schedule is flexible to the children's needs, but mostly looks like this: 7:45 - 8:30 Breakfast time 8:30 - 11:00 Group activities/games/art/infant naps 11:00 Lunch 12:00 Nap prep/potty breaks/diaper changes 12:15/12:30 Story time 1:00 - 3:00 Nap/rest time 3:30 Snack time 3:45 - 5:15 Games/stories/free-play 5:15 - 5:30 Clean up Hours of operation are 7:30 am to 5:30 pm Monday through Friday.